Powerpoint tricks &
tips :
I don’t normally use
Powerpoint
presentations. I rather have the
participants apply at once what they ought
to learn than listen to me discuss the
principles while they watch the
illustrations on Powerpoint. I know, almost
all of the “high caliber trainers” we have
here in the Philippines like to wow their
audience with their flash powered, mtv
inspired
Powerpoints. Their visuals are too
good, you can afford not to listen to the
speakers anymore. Their
Powerpoint just says
it all.

When I was still connected with one computer
university as elearning instructor, I
realized that most
Powerpoint presentation
designs were not meant to aid the presentor.
They were created either to substitute pages
of reading materials, or to be watched like
TV. In the absence of some professors, I was
compelled to teach business economics,
ethics, literature without the benefit of
studying the lessons. All the school has to
do is to give to me the prepared
Powerpoint
presentations, or for us to get downloadable
copies in the internet. They are so detailed
all I need is to read the text, explain the
pictures, and yes, within an hour the 48
slides saved the day for all of us.

And here is the more important lesson: the
students did not have to listen and watch
us. All they need was to review the
Powerpoint slides before the exam. And yes,
upon realizing that, I changed the way I
designed my
Powerpoint presentations.

Are you going to use Powerpoint in your next
presentation? You can be clear and
effective. I suggest you try the following
tips.

Powerpoint tips
:Present Clear Information
1. Use your slides to visually punctuate
your message. Your slides should help your
audience focus on the main points. Make sure
each word and image helps convey your
message in the strongest possible way.

2. Limit how much information you provide on
each slide.
Use the slides for emphasis, but don’t try
to include all of the instruction on your
slides.

• Include only one main idea per slide.
• Use key words to help the audience focus
on your message.
• Use active, visual language.
• Cut unnecessary words: Take a look at a
written copy of your presentation. Cut
paragraphs down to sentences, sentences into
phrases, and phrases into key words.

3. Give each slide a title. Titles will help
the audience quickly understand the main
themes of your talk.

4.Organize your presentation into a logical
sequence. Make sure that your presentation
is easy for the audience to follow by
checking the sequence of your slides. The
main point of each of the slides should flow
logically from one to another.

5. Make your text large. Small text is hard
for audience members to read.
• Use at least 36 point font size for
titles.
• Use at least 24 point font size for body
text.

6. Keep the text slides brief. Too much
information can overwhelm your audience.
• Choose brief, simple statements instead of
full sentences.
• Try to use no more than five words per
line of text.
• Try to use no more than five lines of text
on each slide.

7. Use an easy to read, color format.
• Pick a color combination that offers a
strong contrast between the background and
the text. Dark backgrounds with light
colored text or light backgrounds with dark
colored text work best. If you know you will
be presenting in a poorly-lit room, use a
light background. Conversely, if you know
you will be presenting in a well-lit room,
use a dark background.
• Limit the number of colors you use to no
more than three. Color can help add interest
and can be used to emphasize key points.
However, too much color can be distracting.
• Text drop shadows should be black or a
darker shade of the background color.

8. Keep images simple. Images (such as
graphs, tables, and pictures) can help
strengthen your presentation by conveying
your message in an interesting and often
easy-to-understand format. Before using art,
ask yourself whether the art enhances or
clarifies your message.

• Unnecessary art and animation can create
visual clutter and distract from your
message.
• Some art, especially photos and other
high-resolution images, can also greatly
increase the amount of memory needed to run
the slide show.
• Sometimes scanned images and photos are
too large for a film recorder to handle
easily, leading to delays in the slide
presentation.

Powerpoint
tips :Deliver Successful Presentation

9. Check your equipment in advance. Before
your presentation, check the following:
• Make sure cables and cords are connected
properly and all the equipment is operating.
• If you are using someone else’s computer,
make sure it has adequate disk space,
adequate memory, and the appropriate
versions of the software you need (including
PowerPoint).

10. Check your computer settings in advance.
It helps to check the following, especially
if you are using someone else’s computer:
• Make sure the “system standby” function on
the computer is turned off. If this function
is turned on, your computer might
temporarily turn off if you don’t use it for
a designated time period. On a PC, you can
check this by going to the Control Panel and
look at the Power Options.
• Turn off the screen saver, since a screen
saver can slow down your presentation. On a
PC, turn this off by going to the Control
Panel and then to Display. Click on the
Screen Saver tab to turn the screen saver
off.

11. Interact with your audience. Don’t read
off the screen. Remember, Powerpoint is for
your audience
• Use slides as outlines or conversation
points, not as a script.
• Move around the room and make eye contact
with as many people as possible.

12. Use your finger as a pointer, rather
than the mouse. Although you can use the
mouse to create a pointer on the slide,
using your finger to point is generally more
accurate and less distracting to the
audience. When you move the mouse to point,
it is often difficult to control the little
pointer and it can be difficult to see.

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